The Lost Prophecy: Book 3: Hidden Shadows
by TheQu1etOne
Summary: Ravenwing is a warrior now, but his struggles are far from over. As he tries to find his place within ThunderClan, he realizes that he isn't the only cat with secrets. He already knows some cats are willing to kill to keep their shadows hidden, and as much as he tries to avoid it, Ravenwing knows one thing with certainty: he can't ignore his own secrets forever.
1. Prologue and Allegiances

**Welcome!**

 **Well… it's been a while. What can I say. Did not mean to take a year to get this out but here is Hidden Shadows.  
**

 **To those of you not familiar with the series, The Lost Prophecy is an AU in which Firestar never joined ThunderClan, centering on Ravenpaw. There have already been some major divergences is books 1 and 2 so I recommend reading those first.**

* * *

The clearing, which less than a moon before had been scattered with fallen leaves, was blanketed in snow. A dark tabby tom pushed his way through the icy surroundings. A large rock rose up out of the ground, and in a shadowed crevice was a lichen covered cave entrance. The tom's massive shoulders tensed as his gaze found the cave, but he did not hesitate before he slipped inside.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of a dark gray she-cat. "Bluestar." The dark brown tabby dipped his head.

"Tigerclaw, how is the Clan holding up?" Bluestar meowed, wasting no time on pleasantries.

Tigerclaw flicked his ears; it was the only sign of his irritation. "Well enough. I've ordered every border patrol to hunt on the way back to camp."

"Good." Bluestar frowned. She seemed to notice Tigerclaw's annoyance, but did not comment on it. "With Mousefur and Runningwind injured, every cat will need to contribute to hunting and patrolling. Has any cat checked the RiverClan border lately?"

"I sent Longtail and Dustpelt at around sunhigh. They should be back anytime now."

Bluestar nodded to herself. "What about ShadowClan?"

"I led a patrol myself," meowed Tigerclaw.

"When was this?"

"After dawn."

Eyes clouding, Bluestar turned her head. "Send another at dusk."

"There is no need. All was quiet." Tigerclaw twitched his whiskers. A plan had formed in his mind during a recent day. He needed to be the cat to confront Brokenstar's rogues- if other cats met them first, Tigerclaw might lose his chance.

"All the same, I would like a patrol sent there to be sure. See to it."

Bluestar nodded, dismissing him, and Tigerclaw returned the gesture, frustration making his pelt twitch. Flicking his tail, he padded out into the camp. As Tigerclaw plowed a path through the snow with his broad shoulders, he glanced back at Bluestar. The she-cat was curling up in her nest, completely unaware that her time as leader was approaching its end.

 _The mouse-brained coward._ She was much too soft, much too reluctant to fight. Her cowardliness was the single thing stopping ThunderClan from being the greatest and most powerful in the forest, and yet she still insisted on striving for peace.

Tigerclaw knew though, that ThunderClan needed to make a stand if it was to rise above the rest, and Bluestar was too much of a pacifist to make that decision. That was why ThunderClan needed a new and better leader.

The only cat he could think of who was more cowardly than Bluestar was his own apprentice, Ravenwing- the mouse-heart had barely managed to earn a warrior name. Other complications surrounding Ravenwing aside, Tigerclaw was at least glad that the tom's lack of ability had not lessened Tigerclaw's own status within the Clan. The cat was like a tiny thorn in Tigerclaw's side, barely there, but noticeable enough to want to remove it before it caused an infection.

No cat would believe Ravenwing anyway, if he suddenly decided to reveal what he had seen, but Tigerclaw figured he might need to take care of the problem at some point. Ravenwing had already avoided defeat a few times with whiskers to spare. Surely if Tigerclaw wanted to get rid of Ravenwing, the tom wouldn't be so lucky again.

Tigerclaw slipped into the warriors' den and made his way to his nest. The den was filled with slumbering cats, but Tigerclaw found that he could not sleep. Even as he lay down, he kept his eyes open.

Tigerclaw held back a purr as he imagined the time when he, not Bluestar, would lead ThunderClan. From his spot near the center of the warriors' den, he peered out at the camp. Bluestar was no longer visible through the iced over shroud of lichen that hung across the leader's den entrance, but Tigerclaw pictured her in his mind's eye- peacefully asleep, her chest rhythmically rising and falling, her tail twitching as she dreamed, oblivious that her downfall was so near.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. Soon, Bluestar would realize what a mistake it had been to choose Redtail as her deputy, and not Tigerclaw.

Soon, Tigerclaw would take his rightful place as Clan leader.

 _Soon,_ he thought, staring at Bluestar's den, _you will be dead._

* * *

 **Allegiances**

 **ThunderClan**

 **Leader-** Bluestar- blue-gray she-cat

 **Deputy-** Tigerclaw- big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws

 **Medicine Cat-** Yellowfang- old dark gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face, formerly of ShadowClan

 **Warriors-**

Whitestorm- big white tom

Willowpelt- very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes

Runningwind- swift tabby tom

Mousefur- small dusky brown she-cat

Longtail- pale tabby tom with dark black stripes; Apprentice- Swiftpaw

Dustpelt- dark brown tabby tom

Graystripe- long haired solid gray tom; Apprentice- Brackenpaw

Ravenwing- small, skinny black tom with a white dash on his chest, and white tipped tail

Sandstorm- pale ginger she-cat

 **Apprentices-**

Swiftpaw- black and white tom

Cinderpaw- dark gray she-cat

Brackenpaw- golden brown tabby tom

 **Queens-**

Frostfur- white she-cat with blue eyes

Brindleface- pale tabby she-cat

Goldenflower- pale ginger she-cat

Speckletail- pale tabby, the oldest nursery queen

 **Elders-**

Halftail- big dark brown tabby tom with part of his tail missing

Smallear- gray tom with very small ears

Patchpelt- small black and white tom

One-Eye- pale gray she-cat

Dappletail- tortoiseshell she-cat

 **Prisoners-**

Darkstripe- sleek black and gray tabby tom with paralyzed hindquarters

 **ShadowClan**

 **Leader-** Nightstar- old black tom

 **Deputy-** Cinderfur- thin gray tom

 **Medicine Cat-** Runningnose- small gray and white tom

 **Warriors-**

Stumpytail- brown tabby tom; Apprentice- Brownpaw

Wetfoot- gray tabby tom; Apprentice- Oakpaw

Littlecloud- very small tabby tom

 **Queens-**

Dawncloud- small tabby she-cat

Darkflower- black she-cat

Tallpoppy- long-legged light brown tabby she-cat

 **WindClan**

 **Leader-** Tallstar- black and white tom with a very long tail

 **Deputy-** Deadfoot- black tom with a twisted foot

 **Medicine Cat-** Barkface- short-tailed brown tom

 **Warriors-**

Mudclaw- mottled brown tom; Apprentice- Webpaw

Tornear- tabby tom; Apprentice- Runningpaw

Onewhisker- young brown tabby tom; Apprentice- Whitepaw

 **Queens-**

Ashfoot- gray she-cat

Morningflower- tortoiseshell she-cat

 **RiverClan**

 **Leader-** Crookedstar- huge light-colored tabby with a twisted jaw

 **Deputy-** Leopardfur- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat

 **Medicine Cat-** Mudfur- long-haired light brown tom

 **Warriors-**

Blackclaw- smoky black tom; Apprentice- Heavypaw

Stonefur- blue-gray tom

Mistyfoot- blue-gray she-cat

Loudbelly- dark brown tom; Apprentice- Silverpaw

Whiteclaw- dark tom with white paws

Silverstream- slender silver tabby she-cat

 **Cats Outside Clans**

Barley- black and white tom who lives on a farm close to the forest

Brokenstar- long haired dark brown tabby tom with a broken tail, formerly of ShadowClan

Blackfoot- large white tom with huge black paws, formerly of ShadowClan

Clawface- battle scarred brown tom, formerly of ShadowClan

Boulder- silver tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan


	2. Chapter 1

**I wrote a summary of the first two books, because to be fair it's been over a year since this series last updated. It's at the end of the chapter.**

 **Thanks for sticking with this series!  
**

* * *

The sound of scrabbling broke the silence of the forest. Ravenwing crept forward, stalking slowly to keep his paw steps silent.

The mouse was moving quickly though, even if it hadn't seen Ravenwing. Its tiny paws pattered against the ground; the sound was just loud enough to ruffle Ravenwing's ear fur. Bunching the muscles in his hind legs, Ravenwing narrowed his eyes. Any moment and the mouse would be out of range; he'd have to take his chance now. He leaped out of his hiding spot, and the chase was on.

The mouse swerved toward a small hollow in the base of a tree, but Ravenwing was on its tail. He batted it away from the trees- it would have trouble finding cover in such an open space- and pelted after it. Stunned, the mouse couldn't flee from Ravenwing's swift killing bite.

Ravenwing purred. He had already caught a rabbit, a sparrow, and another mouse. This would be enough, surely. He began to take a circuitous path to the ThunderClan camp, stopping along the way to dig his other catches from where he had stowed them.

Upon reaching the gorse tunnel, he paused, feeling uncharacteristically proud of himself. He had hunted especially well today and was looking forward to seeing his Clanmates' reactions. Ravenwing headed into camp, fluffing out his thin, black fur. He couldn't stop his tail from twitching; a few cats were nodding approvingly, but there was one cat, a gray and black striped tom, who was not.

With Brokenstar's rogues driven off for now, ThunderClan was peaceful for the most part. The most noticeable difference in the camp was the presence of Darkstripe. Ravenwing felt his eyes shift toward the dark tom, and quickly forced them away. Darkstripe was paralyzed, and spent most of his time staring at the camp from his spot under the fallen oak, but it seemed that whenever Ravenwing turned he could feel Darkstripe's glare on his pelt. While Darkstripe's body was damaged, his gaze was not, and Ravenwing shuddered whenever he noticed it out of the corner of his eye. Even though Ravenwing himself had recommended keeping Darkstripe prisoner, it didn't mean he was in any way comfortable around the dark tom.

 _At least Brokenstar hadn't returned,_ Ravenwing thought, slipping past Frostfur's youngest kits scuffling in the snow. The former ShadowClan leader had been oddly terrifying the few times Ravenwing had seen him, even before Darkstripe had supported him. Ravenwing hoped that Brokenstar's rogues were as busy hunting as ThunderClan; it would stop them from invading the camp again.

He dropped his cache on top of the fresh-kill pile, and his tail curled up in satisfaction. His addition had more than doubled the meager pile's size. If he set out again every cat in the Clan would eat tonight.

Although he was glad to be a warrior and leave his apprentice days behind, in truth he was quite overwhelmed with all the patrolling he was required to do with so many cats injured. _It will get better soon,_ Ravenwing thought. _Once Mousefur and Runningwind are cleared to hunt again there will be less to do._

He turned to leave the fresh-kill pile behind, but his paws were weary. His hunt had lasted since dawn, and he hadn't eaten yet. He picked up a large squirrel and started to head toward the elders' den, resolving to make sure they had eaten before he chose his own prey. Then he would hunt again.

"Hey, Ravenwing." Ears twitching, Ravenwing spun around. It was Willowpelt, one of the Clan's senior warriors. "You can keep that squirrel for yourself. Brackenpaw brought fresh-kill for the elders already."

Ravenwing twitched his ears in acknowledgement. "Thank you."

"Graystripe's done well with Brackenpaw," Willowpelt meowed wistfully, padding up to sit down beside him. Ravenwing vaguely noted that Willowpelt was Graystripe's mother, though he rarely heard her talk about him. Like many warrior parents, she wasn't close to her kits. "He is a good warrior," Willowpelt went on, "unlike some cats." She paused, her gaze flitting toward Darkstripe. "I thank StarClan every day that Graystripe didn't turn out like _him_."

Ravenwing nodded, wondering how to navigate a conversation about Darkstripe with Willowpelt of all cats. Not only was the she-cat Graystripe's mother, she was Darkstripe's mother as well. Darkstripe and Graystripe were half-brothers from different litters, though the two had never acknowledged each other even before Darkstripe had betrayed ThunderClan.

Willowpelt's dark blue eyes were still fixed on the paralyzed tom as Ravenwing scuffed his paws against the ice-covered ground. "I think I'll just bring this to Yellowfang," he meowed finally. He picked up the squirrel and awkwardly shuffled away, leaving Willowpelt to glare at Darkstripe.

Stepping into the medicine den was like taking a breath of fresh air, and the tension in his paws immediately lifted at the scent of herbs. He dropped the squirrel in the one empty spot.

"More prey?" Yellowfang meowed, looking up from the herb covered floor. "You do know Dustpelt already hunted for us."

"This might sound strange, but would it be all right if I ate here?" Ravenwing meowed.

Yellowfang seemed confused for a moment, but then a light went on in her eyes. "Darkstripe?"

Ravenwing ducked his head. "Willowpelt was asking me about him…"

"You can eat here as long as you share with us." Yellowfang turned her head toward the back of the den. "Cinderpaw!" she called. "Ravenwing's brought more food."

"Already?" Cinderpaw limped forward, her dark gray pelt blending into the shadows. "It's not after sunhigh, is it?"

"Not yet."

"Oh, squirrel." Cinderpaw's eyes brightened when she saw the prey. "You can have the first bite. Just save me a leg."

As Ravenwing ate he was content to listen to Yellowfang and Cinderpaw talk, while occasionally letting Cinderpaw have a bit of the squirrel. It was nice hearing how well the two she-cats got along, though it was strange to him that they had gotten close so quickly. It had taken him a full season before he'd stopped worrying about being attacked by the old medicine cat. He figured that Cinderpaw was much braver than he was. _Well, Yellowfang did attack me when he first met,_ Ravenwing reasoned, recalling the fateful day. Yellowfang had been a rogue at the time, and even moons later she was still intimidating.

The squirrel had been reduced to a pile of bones and fur when Yellowfang addressed Ravenwing. "Now, not that I don't like your company, but I can't imagine you being here if you didn't need anything." Yellowfang stared at him with her round, orange eyes; it was the same look he'd given her moons ago when she suspected that he disliked training with Tigerclaw. "Surely you're not that worried about Darkstripe- the tom is paralyzed. He's not going anywhere."

"Nothing's wrong," Ravenwing insisted quickly. How had she known? "I just… I was looking for something to do." He trailed off, shrugging his shoulders. Cinderpaw had limped a few paces away and was crouched over a pile of herbs. "Is that tansy?" he asked.

"Yes, and that's chamomile," Cinderpaw meowed. She had been putting the bright leafed herb into a leaf wrap. "The tansy is for coughs, but it can be used on wounds too."

Ravenwing nodded to himself. He remembered much of this; he had helped out around the medicine den for a short time during a greencough epidemic a few moons earlier.

"And chamomile's for strength," Cinderpaw added. "Yellowfang is teaching me some of the herbs."

Yellowfang got up. "You know, Ravenwing, you can help if you want. I could use some help getting my herbs ready for the worst of leaf-bare. I've got Cinderpaw, but I can always use the extra paws."

"Yes, it will be fun!" Cinderpaw jumped to her paws. "We could sort herbs together! I can show you how to make leaf wraps and how to find horsetail and juniper berries- Yellowfang's already shown me that one!" The young she-cat stared at Ravenwing now with imploring blue eyes, and the look reminded him of how she had looked as a kit.

"I suppose I could," Ravenwing meowed thoughtfully under his breath. No cat could argue with helping ThunderClan's medicine cat during leaf-bare as long as he kept up with his other duties. Tigerclaw would probably be happy to see less of him.

And perhaps that would give him the chance to apologize to Cinderpaw. As much as any cat might try to deny it, Ravenwing knew that he was responsible for her injury. _It's only fair I help out after all the trouble I caused_. Aloud, he mewed, "If you need the paws, Yellowfang, I'd be glad to, but I'm not sure I'll be of much help."

"Oh, nonsense. You'll be helpful. It's useful, having you young cats around," Yellowfang meowed. "Always good to learn too," she went on, straightening a pile of tansy. "A Clan can never have enough cats that know herbs."

Ravenwing nodded.

"It's settled then." Yellowfang raised her head solemnly. "From this moment, until the time when you are no longer able to perform your duties, you will be known as a medicine cat assistant." Ravenwing bristled in alarm, and Yellowfang purred. "I'm kidding. It's not that much of a commitment. Just stop by every once in a while and I'll teach you some basic healing techniques."

"Oh, Yellowfang, can we show him how to make poultices?" Cinderpaw piped up, batting a leaf wrap toward a larger pile near the storage end of the den.

Frowning, Yellowfang twitched her tail thoughtfully. "Actually, that may be his first lesson." She turned to Ravenwing. "I'll be treating Darkstripe's injuries this evening. You don't have to, of course, but I think it would be good for you to see." Yellowfang was watching him thoughtfully, and Ravenwing had a tiny feeling she didn't think he should see Darkstripe solely for the possibility of increasing his healing knowledge.

Ravenwing took a deep breath. "I can do it." It was about time he did something besides hunting and patrolling. How bad could it be? Darkstripe was paralyzed for StarClan's sake.

"Good." Tail twitching, Yellowfang glanced at Cinderpaw, who was prodding a bundle of herbs. "I'll send for you when it's time."

Ravenwing could hardly believe what he was agreeing to- he was going to purposely place himself near Darkstripe. "I... I think I'll get some rest then."

Ravenwing flicked his tail and headed toward the den entrance. Ravenwing's pelt prickled nervously, but still a tiny flicker of pride warmed his fur. How many cats would Yellowfang have bothered to ask? She must think Ravenwing would at least be of a little help, or else she wouldn't have bothered. Recalling the short stint he had spent helping out around the medicine den during the greencough outbreak, and the single time he had helped Spottedleaf make leaf wraps, Ravenwing purred. He had been rather poor at herb sorting both times- hopefully with proper instruction he'd be of use.

He basked in the dim sunlight, feeling lighter on his paws, when a growl met his ears.

"What are you doing in the medicine den?" Tigerclaw loped over, his dark tabby pelt bristling.

Ravenwing bit back a surprised yelp; Tigerclaw had appeared out of nowhere. "Nothing," he answered a bit too hastily.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. "I do hope you haven't fallen ill. Bluestar has chosen you to attend the Gathering tonight, but if you can't handle it I can ask her to pick another cat."

"No, I'm fine. I was just visiting." Suppressing a shiver, Ravenwing glanced away, and for a single hopeful moment he thought Tigerclaw was going to leave.

Then Tigerclaw snorted. "How fitting that you of all cats are shirking your warrior duties."

Although fear pounded in his heart, Ravenwing couldn't stop himself from responding. "I've already hunted." He blinked nervously. "Twice."

Tigerclaw stared him down; his amber glare reminded Ravenwing of all the times he'd seen the dark stare before: when the dark tabby had looked up after murdering Redtail; when he had slowly approached Ravenwing in the battle with WindClan, clearly intent on killing Ravenwing too. It took all Ravenwing's strength to meet Tigerclaw's gaze without flinching, and without meaning to he slid his claws into the ground, out of sight beneath the snow.

Tigerclaw was the first to break eye contact. "See that you keep up on your duties then." He lowered his voice to a hiss. "I'll be watching you."

Shivers coursed along Ravenwing's pelt as Tigerclaw padded away. He would have almost preferred being yowled at. The quiet yet open hostility Tigerclaw was showing him now made him nervous.

* * *

"Ravenwing," Cinderpaw meowed in low voice. "Yellowfang wants you to come help us."

"Already?" Ravenwing sat up, licking a paw and brushing it across his ear. The sun was setting, it's orange glow slanting through the branches of the warriors' den. There were few other cats inside; only Longtail and Willowpelt rested in a corner, getting some sleep in advance of a dawn patrol the next morning.

Cinderpaw had turned to leave and was halfway out of the warriors' den. "If you don't want to, it's fine, but Yellowfang says it will be good to see how to use the herbs."

Ravenwing shut his eyes. "No. I can do it. It's not as if he's dangerous anymore." Paws dragging like stones, he stepped out of the warriors' den.

 _Why did I agree to this?_ he wondered to himself as he pushed his way through the clearing, feeling as though the air had suddenly developed the thickness of water. He had expected calm herb gathering and organizing when the idea was first brought up, not treating the cat who had tried to kill him. At least it didn't sound like Yellowfang wanted him to talk to Darkstripe, just observe, but it was still nerve wracking. Were there no other cats with wounds? _I agreed to this_ , he reminded himself, and with a quick shake of his pelt began to make his way to the cat who had tried to kill him multiple times.

Yellowfang was sitting in the shadow of the fallen oak, a bundle of herbs resting next to her. Ravenwing padded up tentatively. Darkstripe was staring at the ground; Ravenwing wasn't sure if the tom had seen him or not. He stopped a few tail-lengths away, lingering slightly behind Yellowfang. Cinderpaw, on the other paw, limped up and sat down beside the old medicine cat.

"Now, what was I saying earlier about reopened wounds?" Yellowfang prompted. Ravenwing kept silent; it was obvious she was addressing Cinderpaw.

"Your first step should be to make a horsetail poultice."

"That's right." Yellowfang was nodding vaguely as she narrowed her eyes at Darkstripe's injured back. "Lift your left forepaw a bit to the left, will you?" she told Darkstripe.

Grumbling, the dark warrior growled something Ravenwing couldn't make out.

"Two of your paws are fine," Yellowfang meowed. "Ravenwing, could you pass the horsetail? It's the one with the bristly stems."

Ravenwing tensed, picked out the horsetail, and rolled it closer to Yellowfang, before backing away to his old spot. Darkstripe gave no reaction.

"Now, Cinderpaw, chew this into a poultice while I check the rest of his wounds." Yellowfang leaned forward and began to inspect Darkstripe's flank.

"My belly hurts," Darkstripe whined.

"Keep your paws still then. I can't treat your wounds if your forelegs are flopping about," Yellowfang replied. Ravenwing blinked. It was hard to believe this was the same cat who had tried to ambush and kill him on three separate occasions.

Darkstripe complied. His forelegs now stretched out in front of him, Yellowfang directed Cinderpaw forward to his exposed belly, which was crisscrossed with red gashes. Ravenwing winced; he had given Darkstripe those wounds. "There, apply the horsetail to that one. Make sure you get that scratch there." Ravenwing nodded to himself as Cinderpaw began to cover the shallow gash; he had made a horsetail poultice before, when Bluestar had lost a life fighting rats back in his apprentice days.

After coating the first cut, Cinderpaw gave Yellowfang a questioning glance. "Is that okay?" Cinderpaw asked.

"A bit more horsetail." Cinderpaw kept going while Yellowfang looked on. "That's enough," Yellowfang meowed. "Now move onto the next one." Meanwhile Darkstripe was wriggling uncomfortably. "Want to try, Ravenwing?"

A snarl rose from Darkstripe's throat, and Cinderpaw jumped back with a squeak.

Ravenwing leaped as well, and scooted behind Yellowfang so he was hidden from Darkstripe's view. "N… no thanks." He dared to peek around Yellowfang. The fur along Ravenwing's spine spiked up as Darkstripe bared his teeth and growled. "I could get more herbs if you'd like. Yes, I think I'll do that." Ravenwing scrambled away before any cat could respond.

Heart racing, he slipped into the medicine den and fell into a crouch. He looked out; Darkstripe had laid his head sideways onto his forepaws, as Yellowfang and Cinderpaw continued on to treat the wounds on his side. Ravenwing sighed. He had half expected Darkstripe to leap to his paws and chase after him, but Yellowfang was right- Darkstripe was paralyzed.

 _He can't hurt me anymore._ But then Ravenwing saw Tigerclaw out of the corner of his eye, and felt his fur prickle. While Darkstripe was no longer dangerous, there was certainly one cat who still was.

* * *

 **Recap time**

Long story short... (or well, not)

Book 1: Most events of Into the Wild proceed in a similar way to canon aside from Rusty not joining ThunderClan. Dustpaw befriends Yellowfang instead of Firepaw. When Dustpaw goes after Yellowfang when most of the Clan believes she's stolen Frostfur's kits, Ravenpaw attempts to tell Dustpaw about how Tigerclaw killed Redtail, but Dustpaw doesn't believe him and due to Tigerclaw's manipulations thinks that Ravenpaw is a spy. The battle with ShadowClan proceeds in a similar way to canon, with Dustpaw taking the place of Firepaw (Ravenpaw followed him into ShadowClan territory and due to a major misunderstanding believed that Dustpaw and Graypaw were being held hostage by Yellowfang and the ShadowClan elders. He returned to camp and went back to ShadowClan territory again with Bluestar and another patrol, and by the time they get there the battle is over).

The night after the battle with ShadowClan, Ravenpaw is ordered to hunt by Tigerclaw. He is attacked by Darkstripe. It turns out that Tigerclaw sent Darkstripe to kill Ravenpaw, and Ravenpaw narrowly escapes being murdered when an early morning hunting patrol stumbles upon the scene. Darkstripe is exiled, and Tigerclaw pins the whole plan on him. Dustpelt, who along with Graystripe received his warrior name the previous night, no longer thinks Ravenpaw is a spy, but believes that Ravenpaw was so traumatized by the battle with RiverClan that he imagined Tigerclaw killing Redtail.

Book 2: Darkstripe is enraged by Tigerclaw's betrayal and attacks Ravenpaw when he happens upon him at the Twolegplace border. Thankfully a patrol intervenes in time, but Darkstripe escapes. Bluestar sends Dustpelt and Graystripe to bring WindClan home, and in the meantime Darkstripe attacks again, this time fighting both Ravenpaw and Sandpaw at Sunningrocks. Shadepaw, a RiverClan apprentice, sees Darkstripe and comes to help the ThunderClan apprentices, but a RiverClan patrol is close behind her and in the commotion she falls off the rocks and is killed. Darkstripe escapes, and Leopardfur blames ThunderClan for Shadepaw's death.

Events proceed somewhat similarly to canon. Dustpelt and Graystripe receive Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw as apprentices respectively. Ravenpaw becomes overwhelmed by general life, visits the Moonstone, and sees a vision about the lost fire prophecy which he can't make heads or tails of. He ends up meeting Barley, staying at the barn for a day, going home, and as punishment for leaving the Clan without telling anyone is required to help Yellowfang in the medicine den.

In the height of the greencough epidemic, Tigerclaw sends a message through Longtail, ordering Ravenpaw to meet him by the Thunderpath to help guard the border after claiming to smell ShadowClan. Ravenpaw decides to go even though this seems sketch and he also isn't allowed out of camp, and Cinderpaw follows him in secret. He notices her finally, but allows her to tag along. Ravenpaw is about to be hit by a monster when Cinderpaw pushes him out of the way, so that Ravenpaw gets a glancing blow but Cinderpaw is hit with the full force of the monster.

Ravenpaw was already developing greencough at this time, so he is mostly out of it for a moon, and when he recovers he learns that Cinderpaw's leg was permanently injured. Brokenstar and his rogues attack the camp along with Darkstripe, who apparently joined the group. During the battle, Dustpelt bites Darkstripe in the spine, paralyzing him. Brokenstar escapes, but Darkstripe stays as a prisoner. Ravenwing and Sandstorm earn their warrior names. Ravenwing happens upon Graystripe meeting with Silverstream on his first day as a warrior. Then the WindClan and ThunderClan vs ShadowClan and RiverClan battle happens, proceeding similarly to canon with ThunderClan and WindClan driving off RiverClan and ShadowClan, and...

That's about it.

Thanks again to everyone who's stuck with this series after a year long hiatus!


	3. Chapter 2

That evening, happily full and more relaxed than he'd been all day, Ravenwing dreamt of Barley's farm.

Then Sandstorm nudged him awake. "It's time for the Gathering," she meowed. "Come on, we're about to leave."

"Thanks, Sandstorm," he mumbled, still half asleep. Slowly rising to his paws, Ravenwing yawned and stretched as the dream faded. He wished he could go back to Barley's farm; the time he'd spent there had been some of the calmest he had experienced since his kithood.

He followed Sandstorm out of the warriors' den, yawning as he went. Most of the cats had congregated under the Highrock, and a few cats who weren't attending the Gathering shared tongues a ways off. Cinderpaw twitched her ears from where she was sitting with Frostfur. Ravenwing flicked his tail in acknowledgement and was about to call out a greeting, when Bluestar began to lead the ThunderClan patrol out of the camp.

With another wave of his tail to Cinderpaw, Ravenwing headed into the group as it swiftly left the ThunderClan camp, and began to make their way to Fourtrees. He trotted alongside Sandstorm, shaking the last of the sleepiness from his limbs.

They walked in silence most of the way until Sandstorm spoke up. "Tonight's the night." Ravenwing tilted his head in confusion. "Our first Gathering as warriors," she meowed, as though it were obvious.

"Oh, yes." Ravenwing nodded vigorously, trying to appear excited. He supposed it should have been apparent. He had forgotten about it, but now a knot formed in his stomach. Bluestar would surely introduce him as a warrior and announce his new name to all four Clans.

Soon enough they had arrived at the edge of the ravine that led down to Fourtrees. The ThunderClan warriors lined up, waiting for their leader's signal.

Whitestorm slipped quietly to the front of the group. "Bluestar, what do you plan to say about Brokenstar's attack?" Ravenwing pricked his ears; he had been wondering the same thing, though he never would have dared ask.

"I will explain that we discovered the scent of trespassing rogues, and that Brokenstar attacked."

"Will you mention Darkstripe?"

"No." Bluestar turned to address the rest of the patrol. "Listen, all of you: Darkstripe is a former ThunderClan cat, and therefore he is ThunderClan's responsibility alone. No cat is to say anything about his involvement in the attack upon our camp; we will appear weak if the other Clans learn the extent of his betrayal." She swept her gaze across the ThunderClan cats. "And no cat is to say anything regarding how close we were to raiding ShadowClan either."

Ravenwing nodded as his Clanmates murmured their assent all around him. Bluestar was right; revealing the truth of Darkstripe's closeness with Brokenstar could cause issues between ThunderClan and the others. Being exiled for attempting to murder a Clanmate was one thing, but to lead the forest's most hated leader into one's former camp was an act of treachery that would strike fear into the heart of the whole forest.

At the sound of the ThunderClan cat's mews, Bluestar flicked her tail, and at her signal the group began to bound down the slope. Ravenwing fell into step beside Dustpelt. "Do you think we could-"

Ravenwing didn't get the chance to finish his question. As abruptly as he'd arrived, Dustpelt disappeared into the crowd. Ravenwing's tail twitched nervously. Although he didn't get along with his brother he had hoped he wouldn't have to face the other Clans alone. He glanced around again. Sandstorm was nowhere to be seen either.

A cat was looking in Ravenwing's direction, an expression of mistrust on his face.

 _Mudclaw!_ Ravenwing bristled; the mottled warrior had accused him of prey theft among other things last Gathering.

Ears flat, Ravenwing backed away and when the tom didn't react, he realized that while Mudclaw was looking in his direction, he was meowing something to one of his Clanmates, and he either hadn't noticed Ravenwing or didn't care. Deciding not to push his luck, Ravenwing ducked behind a group of WindClan and ShadowClan queens, waited for Mudclaw to turn his head, and then weaved his way through the band of cats.

As he skirted the edge of the crowd, Ravenwing appreciated more and more that he was starting to recognize quite a few cats from outside ThunderClan. He passed Leopardfur of RiverClan talking with two ShadowClan toms he knew by sight, along with Onewhisker, a WindClan cat he had spoken to last moon. He recognized Brownpaw, a ShadowClan apprentice he had met at his first Gathering, and wondered vaguely whether the tom had received his warrior name yet.

He traced the side of the hollow, and after a few moments Ravenwing found himself next to the circle of medicine cats.

Mudfur, the RiverClan medicine cat, was speaking. "I'll just be glad when newleaf arrives. Our supply of watermint is running low. I'm not too concerned, but I wish I didn't have to substitute it for chervil root. It tends to give some cats poor side effects."

"Have you tried mallow?" a brown tom meowed. "I've been using it for the last moon, and I've found it just as effective."

"I would, Barkface, but I've not seen any that isn't dead since the start of leaf-bare," Mudfur replied.

Yellowfang spoke up. "There's a patch on our border, near the place where the river bends. Most of it on the ThunderClan side wasn't killed by the frost. Surely there is some left in RiverClan territory." She broke off. "Ah, Ravenwing, nice of you to join us." The heads of the three other medicine cats turned toward him. "This is one of the cats I was telling you about," she explained.

The gray-and-white ShadowClan tom- Runningnose, Ravenwing recalled- tilted his head. "So, this is Ravenwing. Quite the medicine cat, are you?"

"I wouldn't say that," Ravenwing mewed, wondering what in the name of StarClan Yellowfang had told these cats. "I've only helped with herbs a few times."

"Nonsense," Yellowfang scoffed. She turned to the other medicine cats. "He was very useful during the greencough outbreak a few moons ago. I had him dosing cats with tansy."

"You must know some of the other herbs too then." Runningnose was peering at him curiously, while Mudfur and Barkface looked on beside him.

"Not really. Just the ones for greencough." Ravenwing shuffled his paws. The medicine cats had the wrong idea. It was true that Ravenwing had helped during the greencough outbreak, but that had been as a punishment. He'd only learned a few herbs- most of which he had forgotten- and in the end he had come down with greencough himself.

"And I'm teaching him how to make poultices," Yellowfang went on. "It's going to be helpful, having cats I can pawn off my herb sorting to." Her eyes glinted mischievously; even a few moons earlier Ravenwing would have been slightly intimidated, but now he knew she was joking. That didn't stop him from licking his chest self-conciously.

Barkface gave Ravenwing an approving look. "It must be nice to have cats willing to help around the medicine den," he meowed to Yellowfang. "Even getting my Clanmates to help haul herbs back to camp is like pulling teeth."

Runningnose turned and gave a great sniff. Ravenwing tried not to cringe; the ShadowClan medicine cat had his name for a reason. "I'm sure you'll do well," Runningnose meowed. Ravenwing nodded weakly.

Mudfur murmured his agreement. "You'll be making poultices in no time."

Though the medicine cats were friendly, Ravenwing was grateful when he heard a yowl and every cat began to turn away from their conversations. He turned to see the four leaders standing together at the top of the Great Rock. The medicine cats fell silent, and after a moment's hesitation Ravenwing settled himself next to Yellowfang.

Tallstar began without preamble. "WindClan is recovering from the battle." Ravenwing waited for him to speak of the injustice of WindClan being attacked on its own territory simply for returning from exile, and Tallstar kept on, his voice carrying a trace of hostility. "One of our elders has died, but all our warriors will live- to fight another day."

Crookedstar's growl could be heard across the clearing, and Ravenwing could just barely make out Nightstar's unsheathed claws glinting in the moonlight. The warriors around Ravenwing bristled. He chanced a backward glance at the other Clans' medicine cats, and though he knew medicine cats avoided involving themselves in inter-Clan conflicts, was still surprised to see how unperturbed they appeared sitting next to cats from the Clans that had recently fought with their own.

Ravenwing was so focused on the sudden tension in the air that he almost didn't notice Bluestar stepping forward. Twitching his ears, he made an effort to listen. "This is good news, Tallstar," she meowed. "All of us should rejoice to hear that WindClan grows strong again."

Nightstar shifted his paws, while Crookedstar dipped his head, his eyes narrowed.

"ThunderClan's cats are also recovering," Bluestar continued. "And since the last Gathering two of our apprentices have become warriors." Ravenwing's eyes widened; he quickly narrowed them so he seemed less nervous, but he couldn't stop the fur on his shoulders from bristling. "They will now be known as Sandstorm and Ravenwing."

Yowls rose up from the crowd of warriors, queens, apprentices, and elders. Fur prickling, Ravenwing lowered his head shyly as cats called out their support. The voices were mostly from ThunderClan and WindClan, while the RiverClan and ShadowClan sections were stonily silent, though he caught sight of a few warriors' curious looks.

Still bristling, Ravenwing was grateful when the cheers stopped and the cats turned back to the leaders. From her spot at the opposite end of the hollow, Sandstorm caught his eye and shot him a thrilled glance, clearly unbothered by RiverClan and ShadowClan's lack of response.

"ThunderClan has other news to report," Bluestar went on when it quieted down. "Recently, Brokenstar and his group of exiles attempted an attack on our camp." Concerned mews spread through the hollow. "We fought them off easily enough; a season living as rogues did no favors to their fighting skills."

Ravenwing blinked. Brokenstar's rogues had been formidable even if they had lived outside the Clans for several moons. He noted that in addition to not mentioning Darkstripe, Bluestar clearly wasn't going to talk about the fact that ThunderClan had been caught off guard with no warriors in the camp, or how they had been whisker lengths from starting a war with ShadowClan before the cats involved realized it was Brokenstar trespassing.

Bluestar kept on. "Cats of all Clans should remain alert, though it does appear that they have gone. None of our warriors have scented Brokenstar or any of his rogues since they fled from our camp."

"Then it seems that they have left the forest," Tallstar meowed. "Brokenstar was a menace to all four Clans. Let us hope he has enough sense to stay away."

Cats from every Clan murmured their agreement this time. Nightstar and Crookedstar were still watching Bluestar through narrowed eyes, but the tension in the clearing had eased.

The Gathering continued peacefully from there, and after a quick news sharing from the other Clans, the announcement came that the Gathering was at its end.

At Bluestar's mew, Ravenwing rose to his paws and began to dodge around the tightly packed cats. He caught sight of a familiar gray pelt.

Graystripe was peering over a group of WindClan warriors' heads, his eyes fixed on a silver she-cat as she slipped through the crowd to rejoin the RiverClan patrol. Ravenwing shook his head to himself. It was very obvious that Graystripe was staring at Silverstream. As Graystripe padded up, Ravenwing wondered if he only thought it was apparent because he already knew of the forbidden relationship.

None of the cats paid any attention to either warrior as they slowly made their way toward their respective territories.

Ravenwing pushed past a group of cats, and recognized one of the ThunderClan apprentices. It was Swiftpaw. Ravenwing was about to call him, but Longtail beat him to it. "Swiftpaw, are you coming?" The small black-and-white tom hastily scrambled toward the group of waiting ThunderClan cats.

Ravenwing was mid-way up the slope when Sandstorm appeared next to him.

"I was wondering where you ran off to. How did you end up sharing tongues with the medicine cats?" Sandstorm asked.

Ravenwing concentrated on keeping his paws from slipping on icy snow; with a quick bound he reached the top of the ravine and scrambled onto flat ground. "I'm not sure. They seemed all right though." He frowned thoughtfully. "You know, I'll admit I was a bit worried about what cats were going to think of ThunderClan driving off Brokenstar."

"True, that might have gone badly if cats figured out ThunderClan wasn't telling the whole story," Sandstorm agreed.

"Bluestar handled it well, I thought," Ravenwing meowed. "It's more that I was worried about RiverClan's and ShadowClan's reaction. Or that they might think ThunderClan would be an easy place to attack so soon after a battle."

Sandstorm nodded. "Things turned out fine anyway, all things considered."

"Yeah." Hearing a pattering sound, Ravenwing swiveled his ears. Pausing at the edge of the trees, he looked upon the Gathering place one last time. The few WindClan cats left in the hollow were bounding up their side of the ravine, sending a small cascade of snow down the opposite slope.

As the WindClan cats retreated into the distance, Ravenwing watched them go. Past the hills and the outer edges of their border was Barley's farm, and Ravenwing squinted in a vain attempt to see it, even if it would be just a tiny pinprick in the dark landscape. Ravenwing wished he could visit to tell Barley about what was happening. The loner had helped him so much, rescuing him from a dog and giving him a place to stay during a storm, and perhaps Barley had just wanted company, but Ravenwing appreciated his help all the same. Barley would be pleased to learn that Ravenwing became a warrior… but Ravenwing could not visit Barley, not now, perhaps not ever. He was a warrior now, and he had no legitimate reason to leave his Clan for a night.

Wishing he could talk to Barley once more, Ravenwing stowed the thought in the back of his mind, turned, and followed his Clanmates into the forest.


End file.
